No one was hurt, but incident is being investigated.

Deborah Haab, right, Highland Central School District superintendent, speaks during a board meeting March 5 in Lloyd, N.Y. At left is Lloyd Police Chief Daniel Waage. The school district school resource officer program is on hold while an investigation is conducted into a Lloyd police officer's gun being "accidentally discharged" in the high school.(Photo: Karl Rabe, Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal)

Story Highlights

Highland, N.Y., school district decided to look at armed security personnel after Newtown shootings

Officer was assigned to school while district explored several options, including private security

Highland Central School District's superintendent, Deborah Haab, told parents, staff and community members at a school board meeting Tuesday night that the program, begun after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that left 20 students and six adults dead in December, would be suspended while an investigation is conducted.

Police Officer Sean McCutcheon for the town of Lloyd, N.Y., accidentally fired his gun at 1:38 p.m. Tuesday in Highland High School's hallway, the district said. No one was injured, and no students or staff were nearby when the gun went off.

John Nelson, whose daughter is a sophomore at the high school about 65 miles north of New York City, asked Haab on Tuesday night what a loaded gun was doing at school.

"I'm just shocked," Nelson said before the meeting. "I don't understand how a gun could just go off."

Mark Wallen, 43, whose son is a senior at the high school, questioned the value of having armed guards in the schools. He called the choice to have an armed officer in schools a "knee-jerk reaction."

"What if a kid had been killed? We got lucky this time and that's purely what it is," Wallen said.

However, John Gorden, a parent of three in the district, said the community still must depend on police to maintain safety.

"An accident like this isn't going to change my feelings on who a police officer is or what he does," said Gorden of Clintondale, N.Y.

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McCutcheon was assigned as a resource officer following a Jan. 3 special school board meeting, according to the district website.

Following that meeting, district officials said they were discussing efforts to enhance safety and security in the buildings with local law enforcement. Administrators were exploring hiring trained security personnel with law-enforcement backgrounds and allowing them to carry their side arms in the building.

Police Chief Daniel Waage assigned McCutcheon to the role while logistics and details for a more comprehensive plan are being developed.

McCutcheon, a veteran police officer who served more than two decades with the New Paltz, N.Y., police before joining the Lloyd police, was on routine patrol with no one around when he mistakenly shot his gun, Lloyd Supervisor Paul Hansut said.

He is a part-time officer with Lloyd and is the only school resource officer in the Highland district. He rotates between the three school buildings, Haab said.

Lt. James Janso of the Lloyd police said no further information would be made available because of the investigation.

Despite the scare, some parents maintained their support for having a police officer in the buildings.

Tracy Vona-Shaw, who has a son in the Highland Elementary School, said she thought it was an honest mistake.

She said she went to school with McCutcheon and respects his ability as an officer.

"I feel horrible for him because he's such a wonderful guy," the Highland resident said. "I would welcome him back to protect my child. I have no problem with an armed officer in the school, even after (Tuesday)."

Vona-Shaw and Gorden were understanding about the incident but questioned the district's decision to not perform a lockdown. Both agreed the real-life situation could help the district assess the ability to respond to a crisis and provide practice to those involved.

"This is why we practice these drills. It all stems from a gun, so why wouldn't we do it now?" Gorden said.

"Here was their best chance to see how they would react," Vona-Shaw said. "And they didn't do it."

A school resource officer accidentally discharged his weapon March 4 at Highland High School in Highland, N.Y., and the armed officer program that began after the Newtown, Conn., shootings has been put on hold pending an investigation into the shot fired.(Photo: Karl Rabe, Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal)